On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

On Saturday, Kentucky football fans came to Commonwealth Stadium to watch the Cats play Florida.
Herald Leader

Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Blake McClain (24) ran for yardage in the first half as Kentucky played Florida on Saturday September 28, 2013 in Lexington, Ky. Photos by Mark Cornelison | Staff
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Florida Gators quarterback Tyler Murphy (3) went in for a second quarter touchdown as Kentucky played Florida on Saturday September 28, 2013 in Lexington, Ky. Photos by Mark Cornelison | Staff
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Former UK basketball coach Tubby Smith and the other Hall of Fame inductees waved to fans as Kentucky played Florida on Saturday September 28, 2013 in Lexington, Ky. Photos by Mark Cornelison | Staff
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Kentucky quarterback Maxwell Smith was sacked in the first quarter of Kentucky's home game Saturday against Florida.
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Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops yells at his team during the first half as Kentucky plays Florida in Lexington, Ky. Photo by Amy Wallot
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Thomas Fitzpatrick and his son Conner, Lancaster, share a laugh, despite cheering for opposing teams, before the start of the game Kentucky plays Florida in Lexington, Ky. Photo by Amy Wallot
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Florida Gators quarterback Tyler Murphy throws for a touchdown during the second quarter as Kentucky plays Florida in Lexington, Ky. Photo by Amy Wallot
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Kentucky Wildcats running back Raymond Sanders (4) runs for a loss of 7 yards during the first half as Kentucky plays Florida in Lexington, Ky. Photo by Amy Wallot
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Florida Gators running back Matt Jones (24) split defenders for some of his 94 first half yards as Kentucky played Florida on Saturday September 28, 2013 in Lexington, Ky. Photos by Mark Cornelison | Staff
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Mark and Annita Rucker cheered on the cats in the first half as Kentucky played Florida on Saturday September 28, 2013 in Lexington, Ky. Photos by Mark Cornelison | Staff
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Florida Gators running back Matt Jones (24) ran in for a 2 yard touchdown as Kentucky played Florida on Saturday September 28, 2013 in Lexington, Ky. Photos by Mark Cornelison | Staff
Herald-Leader

Florida Gators running back Matt Jones (24) ran in for a 2 yard touchdown as Kentucky played Florida on Saturday September 28, 2013 in Lexington, Ky. Photos by Mark Cornelison | Staff
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Florida Gators wide receiver Trey Burton (8) pulled in a Tyler Murphy pass for a 9 yd touchdown in the second quarter as Kentucky played Florida on Saturday September 28, 2013 in Lexington, Ky. Photos by Mark Cornelison | Staff
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Kentucky Wildcats kicker Joe Mansour (88) took a pitch and ran for a 25 yard first quarter touchdown as Kentucky played Florida on Saturday September 28, 2013 in Lexington, Ky. Photos by Mark Cornelison | Staff
Herald-Leader

Kentucky Wildcats kicker Joe Mansour (88) took a pitch and ran for a 25 yard first quarter touchdown as Kentucky played Florida on Saturday September 28, 2013 in Lexington, Ky. Photos by Mark Cornelison | Staff
Herald-Leader

Kentucky Wildcats kicker Joe Mansour (88) took a pitch and ran for a 25 yard first quarter touchdown as Kentucky played Florida on Saturday September 28, 2013 in Lexington, Ky. Photos by Mark Cornelison | Staff
Herald-Leader

Former UK coach Joker Phillips on the field for warm ups as Kentucky played Florida on Saturday September 28, 2013 in Lexington, Ky. Photos by Mark Cornelison | Staff
Herald-Leader

When a couple of key Florida players went down, the hopes of the Big Blue Nation went up.

Maybe this would be the year, the year Kentucky would finally snap that nasty 26-game losing streak to those swamp-infested Gators.

Why Dick Vitale tweeted it could happen. And Kirk Herbstreit said it could happen. And suddenly the Bluegrass state was hooked on the feeling the team from the Sunshine State was ripe for the picking.

And then the football was placed on the tee and reality visited Commonwealth Stadium.

Again.

Thirteen plays and 93 yards later Florida had the lead, and outside of a little slight-of-hand from the host Cats, Will Muschamp's Gators were in charge all night, beating Kentucky 24-7 as Florida continued its mastery by pounding the rock to prove a point.

For Mark Stoops' team, this was a facts-of-life game. And the fact is that even though the Gators were without star defensive tackle Dominique Easley (out for the year with an ACL tear) and quarterback Jeff Driskel (out for the year with a factured leg), Florida's second- and third-stringers are still better than most of Kentucky's starters.

"Even without their best D-linemen out, they've got guys behind him that are going to the NFL," said Kentucky quarterback Maxwell Smith.

That's just the way it is — the way it has been for most of this now- phenomenal 27-year streak. One recruiting class by Stoops and Company is not going to change that.

"One or two guys doesn't make a difference with that team," Stoops said of the Gators. "I was there a year ago (at Florida State). We lost the best player on our defense (defensive end Brandon Jenkins) the first game. It didn't affect us one bit."

If anything, the loss of Easley and Driskel made the Gators more focused, especially when going against an underdog team in a hostile environment.

"I'm pleased with how our guys pulled together," Muschamp said.

"They've got a lot of good players," Stoops said. "They have very good coaches. They're good at what they do. That's what we're aiming to get to."

There was really nothing Saturday night that told you Stoops can't get there. Eventually.

Yes, the Kentucky offense struggled. Neal Brown's Air Raid didn't score a touchdown. A 25-yard run by Joe Mansour on a fake field goal late in the first quarter accounted for the Cats' only points. The offense gained just 173 yards, which was 46 less than the Joker Phillips/Randy Sanders offense, with quarterback Morgan Newton getting the last-second start thanks to Smith's bad shoulder, gained last year in Gainesville.

And, yet, Florida entered Saturday night with the SEC's No. 1 and the nation's No. 2 defense in terms of yards allowed. No Easley? No problem.

Defensively, Kentucky never forced a Florida punt, and backup quarterback Tyler Murphy was silky smooth, completing 15 of 18 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 36 more.

And yet, without much help from the offense, D.J. Eliot's defense did enough to keep it a two-score game for most of the evening.

Not that Stoops was buying into believing UK was any closer than that.

"I just felt like it was uphill from the beginning," said the coach.

The same goes for his program. No team in America is facing as tough a stretch as Stoops' Troops are now halfway through — No. 7 Louisville last game, No. 20 Florida this game, then No. 12 South Carolina in Columbia next Saturday, then No. 1 Alabama back at home.

"We know it's going to be a process," said the coach. "Again, I'm not discouraged. We're going to go back to work. ... We know we're not there yet, but we're going to keep on trying."